rain@night

(Sometime in 1990)

i was awakened by the cold. White light
turned blue from the night cloaked the
immense expanse lying in front of me. I
reached for a cigarette when my arm brushed
ever so lightly across a woman’s back, sending
vivid recollections of other nights, other
rooms, the same woman. Sparks then a
flame momentarily erased the wriggling
shadows of raindrops from her back,
revealing curves any man cannot help but
kiss. The valley running down her spine to
her buttocks never ceased to avoid my touch.
She brushed my hand off and huddled closer.
“I love you,” I whisper, testing her asleepness.
She makes no response. I am awake in this
bed in my studio at age 26, listening to the
rain. In the square of a window at my side
radiates a solitary streetlamp’s illumination,
confirming the rain’s existence as its light
turns each raindrop within reach into a
crystal as it journeys earthbound. I love the
rain, especially at night when the darkness
hides urban concrete in its shadows and
leaves man’s imagination free to explore in
its solitude and silence.

"Facebook’s algorithmic and human reviewers seem unable to accurately parse the context and intent of their usage. Whether intentional or not, these moderation fails constitute a form of censorship. And just like Facebook’s dangerous and discriminatory real names policy, these examples demonstrate how the company’s own practices often amplify harassment and cause real harm to marginalized groups like LGBTQ people, communities of color, and domestic violence survivors."

"Minority groups in tech are no strangers to being second-guessed, condescended to, overlooked, underpaid, and uncredited. But seeing Damore’s arguments made public—and, in some cases, seeing them elicit support—was a fresh smack in the face."

Update: A Facebook spokesperson apologized for the mistake and said, "We know how painful it is when someone feels unwelcome or attacked on our platform, and how much worse it must be when they are prevented from sharing that experience with others. We need to do better and are committed to improving our process on these important issues." The site is also working on ways to distinguish between hate speech and its condemnation.

“I felt more secure at my other job. You didn’t have people looking down at you,” Nicole said. Now she works at cafeterias with names like “Epic” and “Living the Dream”, and the distance between the two classes of Facebook worker can feel immense.